Everybody Knows
by Muggle Jane
Summary: Harry thinks Charlie should just tell his mum. For Bex- happy (late) birthday!


**A/N: Disclaimer of not owning any of the characters. Written for fabulous Bex! Happy (late) birthday!**

Harry knew that Charlie wasn't happy. He knew the second that Charlie shot him a look and stalked from the room. To tell the truth, he had known before then, too. There was no mistaking the set of his jaw, the tenseness in his shoulders, the way he had all-but-attacked the food on his plate with his utensils.

"Excuse me," he said to his dinner guests- the rest of the Weasleys and assorted might-as-well-be-family. He pushed his chair back from the table and stood, following the red-haired dragon keeper from the room.

Once out of the kitchen and into the main part of the house, there was no sign of Charlie. He suspected he knew where Charlie was, though, and started up to his bedroom. He knew exactly what stairs to skip to avoiding the creaking of the old wooden planks, and soon he was standing in the doorway to his own bedroom. Sure enough, there was Charlie, work-roughened hands braced against the window as he looked out into the soggy back garden. It was already getting dark, earlier than normal because of the rain clouds, but Charlie hadn't bothered to turn on the light.

Harry stood in the doorway, staring at the other man. "What is it?" he asked gently. He was fairly certain he knew exactly what it was, but he wanted to hear the words.

"She keeps..." There was an exasperated huff. Charlie didn't turn towards him. "She keeps pushing my sister at you. My own sister."

"You know this wouldn't happen if you'd just tell her."

There was no answer to that. They'd gone round and round with this more than once, usually ending up with a few hours of stony silence, and then a heartfelt apology. Charlie had the Prewett temper, but not the explosive nature of his mother or his younger siblings. He was more focused, more intense, and his anger was frosty instead of hot, filled with glaring and a stubborn refusal to talk.

Harry let out his own sigh. He crossed the room and laid his hand on the other man's shoulder. He could feel the muscle stretched taut under the crisp green shirt that was the exact shade as Harry's eyes. "You work with dragons," he said gently. "You were a brilliant keeper, even the Slytherins didn't phase you. Why are you so set against telling your mum?" He purposely didn't use the word scared, but it hung unspoken in the air between them.

"I've already disappointed her once. Broke her damn heart when I moved to Romania. I can't do that to her again, not after Percy and Fred."

Harry slid his hand down Charlie's arm, and closed his hand around the bicep hardened from years of work with the ornery dragons. Harry was taller, but Charlie was broader and outweighed him by quite a bit. Still, he pulled on the shorter man's arm, and Charlie let him turn him around.

"Percy's back now." There was no change in the stormy blue eyes, and Harry leaned forward to lay a gentle kiss on Charlie's forehead. "I think your mum would rather you be happy."

"It's not so easy for us as it is for Muggles. We're expected to get married and carry on the family line, just because there's not so many of us." Still, Harry could feel the tense muscles relaxing, at least a little.

"There are more than enough Weasleys to carry on your family line without you. Besides, it's not like we can't ever think of children. There are more than enough orphans in England to fill every room in this house. Your mum loves Teddy, thinks of him as family. Do you think she would be any less accepting if we adopted a child?" Harry could sense the other man softening. He suspected Charlie was getting just as tired of the facade as he was. "Besides, aren't you getting tired of all of this? Pretending you're not here when you could be spending Saturday afternoons with your family?"

Charlie shifted forward until he was resting his head on Harry's shoulder, his arms coming around his waist. "And I thought Hermione was supposed to be the smart one."

"I have my moments." Harry grinned, his own hands settling on Charlie's back. Charlie's temper was gone, replaced by what seemed like a tentative acceptance. "Shall we tell them, then?"

After a moment, he felt the older man nod. Charlie lifted his head, and they shared a soft kiss. There was a tenseness in his body again, but Harry knew it was from nerves now, instead of anger.

"Come on, then." He gently pulled away and took Charlie's hand, drawing him out of the bedroom they shared and back down the creaky stairs to where everyone else was still sharing a meal.

"Mum," Charlie started, his voice just a little raspy with nerves. Harry squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Harry and I are together. I live here now."

His mum looked up at them, her bright brown eyes shining, and gave them both a broad smile. "I know, dear. Why don't you both sit down and eat? Kreacher makes such a lovely meal."

They were halfway through pudding when Charlie finally asked, "You knew?" He was sitting beside Harry now, so close that their shoulders brushed together.

"Of course I knew. I'm your mother."

"Why didn't you say anything?" He paused, shooting a look at where his youngest sibling was unabashedly grinning on the other side of the table. "And why did you keep trying to push Ginny at Harry?"

"I thought you'd tell us when you were ready." She gave the couple a tender smile. "You were taking your sweet time about it, though, so I thought you might need a little nudge in the right direction. Ginny didn't mind."

"I thought it was hilarious," Ginny chimed in, wearing a grin.

"You knew? Did... Did everyone know?" Charlie sounded just a little bit put out.

Silence. That was answer enough. Harry was grinning now too, and he leaned over to give Charlie a comforting kiss on the cheek. "I didn't tell them, if that's what you're thinking."

"You're a Prewett, dear, and Prewetts aren't exactly subtle. Stubborn. Not subtle. Now." The Weasley matriarch put her dessert fork on her empty plate and beamed at the two of them. "When can we expect a wedding?"


End file.
